Process for the preparation of diazotized vinylphenol polymers having phototropic properties

ABSTRACT

Polymers having optical specificity which have a saturated hydrocarbon polymer chain and pendant phenol groups which are the coupled reaction products of phenol and a diazonium salt. These polymers may be prepared by coupling a diazonium salt with vinylphenol and then copolymerizing with at least one vinyl compound. Alternatively, a homopolymer formed from the vinylphenol monomer or a copolymer formed from the vinylphenol monomer with another vinyl monomer are reacted with a diazonium salt to couple said salt with the phenol groups.

llie States Patent Inventors Illlroyoshi Kamogawa 809, Mizonokuchi, Kawasaki-511i; Masao Kato, 955-10, Shimonagaya-cho- Sherigaya, Minami-ku, Yokohama, both of Japan Feb. 8, 1968 Dec. 7, 1971 Feb. 10, 1967 Japan PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF DIAZOTIZED VINYLPHENOL POLYMERS HAVING PHOTOTROPIC PROPERTIES 9 Claims, No Drawings US. Cl 260/47 U, 96/91 Int. C1 C08t 7/10 Field 01 Search 260/47 U,

Primary Examiner.l0seph L. Schofer Assistant Examiner-C. A. Henderson, .lr. Allorney- Ernest G. Montague ABSTRACT: Polymers having optical specificity which have a saturated hydrocarbon polymer chain and pendant phenol groups which are the coupled reaction products of phenol and a diazonium salt. These polymers may be prepared by coupling a diazonium salt with vinylphenol and then copolymerizing with at least one vinyl compound. Alternatively, a homopolymer formed from the vinylphenol monomer or a copolymer formed from the vinylphenol monomer with another vinyl monomer are reacted with a diazonium salt to couple said salt with the phenol groups.

PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF DIAZOTIZED VIN YLPIIENOL POLYMERS HAVING PHOTO'IROPIC PROPERTIES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a process for the preparation of polymers having phototropic properties.

It was well known that various aminoazobenzene and hydroxyazobenzene derivatives exhibit phototropic properties. Many studies were made on the use of these substances having such properties as photofilters, but such use has not yet been realized in the industry. When an organic substance having phototropic properties is polymerized into a high-molecular substance, the uniformity of distribution, transparency and antisolvent characteristics of the substance in a solid state are extremely superior to those of conventional high-molecular substances in which a lower molecular compound is merely blended.

The object of this invention is to provide a process for easily preparing a polymer having phototropic properties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The process of this invention comprises reacting vinylphenol as the starting material with a diazonium salt to produce a monomer or a polymer and, in the case of the monomer, further polymerizing said monomer to produce a high-molecular substance having phototropic properties.

The production of the monomer can be carried out by dissolving o-vinylphenol or m vinylphenol in water having dissolved therein more than l.2 moles of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide per 1 mole of the vinylphenol and thereafter adding a diazonium solution, while cooling below 5 C. and stirring, thereby effecting a diazo-coupling reaction. The above diazonium salt solution can be prepared by mixing, at a temperature below 5 C., a solution consisting of 2 moles of hydrochloric acid and 1 mole of aniline, methyl aniline such as o-toluidine, m-toluidine, p-toluidine, 3,5-dimethylaniline or 3,4,5-trimethylaniline, chloraniline such as o-chloroaniline, m-chloroaniline, pchloroaniline, 3,5-dichloroaniline or 3,4,5- trichloroaniline, a-naphthylamine, or B-naphtylarnine, with an aqueous solution of l mole of sodium nitrate.

The mixture is then further stirred for about l hour and, when the monomer thus produced is alkali-soluble, is diluted with water and filtered. The monomer is then precipitated from the filtrate by adding solid carbon dioxide to the filtrate or by making it neutral with a weak organic acid such as lactic acid or acetic acid. When the above product is alkali-insoluble, the solution is neutralized with solid carbon dioxide or the above-mentioned weak organic acid, filtering off the precipitate, extracting the filtrate with hot alcohol or other solvent and diluting the extract with water.

The monomer thus obtained can then be purified by crystallization from benzene, alcohol, or a mixture of benzene and ligroin or petroleum ether.

The monomer obtained by the above procedure is then copolymerized with an appropriate vinyl compound such as methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, tert-butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, vinyl acetate, acrylonitrile, vinyl chloride, styrene, ethyl vinyl ether, methyl vinyl ether, ethyl vinyl ether and butyl vinyl ether, in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator, for example, azobis-isobutyronitrile or phenylazo-triphenylmethane, dissolved in a solvent such as dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, ethanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, benzene, or the like, under oxygen-free conditions to obtain a polymer, which is then purified by the reprecipitation method.

The polymer thus obtained exhibits phototropic properties in its benzene solution or in a film state.

O-vinylphenol or m-vinylphenol can also be polymerized by using a solution of the above radical polymerization initiator in dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, ethanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, or benzene, etc. under oxygen-free conditions to obtain polyvinylphenol. The polyvinylphenol is then dissolved in an alkali solution by the same procedure as described for the production of the monomer, and thereafter the same diazonium salt solution as above is added dropwise thereto while stirring at a temperature below 5 C. to eifiect diazo-coupling. The reaction mixture is further stirred for about 1 hour and neutralized to obtain a precipitate of the polymer, which is then purified by the reprecipitation method.

The polymer thus obtained also exhibits the same phototropic properties as those obtained by the copolymerization.

The polymers which can be used as the starting material may be those obtained by the radical polymerization of two copolymerizable substances including vinylphenol and a water-soluble monomer such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, etc., or three copolymerizable substances including vinylphenol, the above water-soluble monomer and a vinyl compound such as vinyl ether, vinyl chloride, styrene, etc.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following examples are further illustrative of this invention, and it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto.

EXAMPLE I A solution of 5.18 (0.040 mole) of aniline hydrochloride dissolved in 50 cc. of 1 percent hydrochloric acid and a solution of 2.76 g. (0.040 mole) of sodium nitrite dissolved in 30 cc. of water were mixed together at I C. to prepare a diazonium salt solution. Separately, a solution of 4.81 g. (0.040 mole) of o-vinylphenol dissolved in 400 cc. of water containing 10 g. of sodium hydroxide was prepared and to this was added dropwise the above diazonium salt solution while cooling with ice to 5 C. and stirring. The mixture was then further stirred for 1 hour and thereafter filtered. Solid carbon dioxide was added to the filtrate to obtain a deep orange precipitate of benzeneazo-o-vinylphenol (yield, 57 percent). The precipitate was separated by filtration, dried under reduced pressure and recrystallized from a benzene-ligroin (lrl) mixed solution to obtain glossy orange-yellow crystals. Melting point, lOS-l06 C., N, l2.4l percent (calculated value, 12.48 percent).

EXAMPLE 2 A solution consisting of 1 part of the monomer prepared in example 1, 5 parts of methyl methacrylate, 5 parts of ethyl acrylate, 0.] part of ambis-isobutyronitrile and 20 parts of tetrahydrofuran was subjected to polymerization at 70 C. for 42 hours under oxygen-free conditions, and the resulting solution was diluted with an acetone-methanol mixed solution and poured into water to separate a yellow-orange polymer (CP-l (yield, percent). The same working-up procedure as above was repeated several times to purify the polymer.

EXAMPLE 3 A solution of 6.56 g. (0.040 mole) of p-chloroaniline hydrochloride dissolved in 50 cc. of 1 percent hydrochloric acid and a solution of 2.76 g. (0.040 mole) of sodium nitrite dissolved in 30 cc. of water were mixed together at 1 C. to prepare a diazonium salt solution. Separately, a solution of 4.81 g. (0.040 mole) of o-vinylphenol dissolved in 400 cc. of water containing [0 g. of sodium hydroxide was prepared and to this was added dropwise the above diazonium salt solution while cooling with ice to 5 C. and stirring. The mixture was then further stirred for 1 hour, followed by the addition of solid carbon dioxide to form a yellow-brown precipitate, which was separated by filtration, washed with water and extracted four times with a cc. portion of hot ethanol. Five hundred cc. of water was added to the extract to form a brown precipitate at first, which was rapidly separated by filtration. An additional 500 cc. of water was added to the filtrate, which was then allowed to stand to crystallize a yellow-orange crystalline precipitate of p-chlorobenzene-o-vinylphenol (yield, 31 percent). The precipitate was separated by filtration and recrystallized from a benzene-ligroin l:l) mixed solution to give golden-color crystals. Melting point, l34-l 35 C., N, l0.75 percent (calculated value, 10.83 percent).

acid and a solution of 5.8 g. (0.083 mole) of sodium nitrite dissolved in 50 cc. of water were mixed together at 1 C. to prepare a diazonium salt solution which was then added dropwise to a solution of 10.0 g. (0.083 mole) of poly-o-vi- EXAMPLE 4 5 nylphenol ([u]=0.l l4) dissolved in 600 cc. of water contain- In the same manner as example 2' a yellow orange polymer ing 25 g. of sodium hydroxide while stirring at 5 C. The result- (CP-2) was obtained by using the monomer prepared i exam mg mixture was then worked up in the same manner as example yield 93 percent. pie 7 to give a brown polymer (HP-3). Extent of the reaction 86 percent. EXAMPLE EXAMPLE A solution of 5.74 g. (0.040 mole) of p-toluidine hydrochloride dissolved in 50 cc. of l percent hydrochloric 2 The gz 5 CP-Z z g i xtexamples acid and a solution of 2.76 percent (0.040 mole) of sodium 4 an respecuvey were T' ve m to nitrite dissolved in 30 cc. of water were mixed together at 1 [5 prepare the respecnye solutions having a coilcemranon of C to re are a diazonium salt solution which was then added 0.0800 g/l. The solution were allowed to stand in a dark place l y a Solution of 4 81 040 mole) of owi for 24 hours, and thereafter measured for the absorption nylghenol dissolved in 400 cc of iater containing 10 g of curve 3; range of 6 2 a i -g fi i using a cm. quartz ce to etermme t e max. e ce zgfiz gg g iz' zrs p z g glz' z ifi gg g ts: was then irradiated on its side plane with light from a l00-watt tungsten lump through a rotatory shutter to measure the ab- P l mfi l-g; l P F 1 g l zf sorption curve, and the phototropic properties (trans form was 'ecrys mm a mule so cis form) induced by the irradiation were evaluated by observto give grossy red-brown crystals. Melting point, 138 l 39 C., ing the variation in absorption intensity at the A max and the l L5 Percent (calculated value I percent) isosbestic points of the absorption curves. The results were as EXAMPLE 6 shown in table 1 below. As is clear from the values of the extinction coefficient (absorbancy index) ratio 5 /5,, the In the same manner as example 2, a yellow-orange polymer polymer in each case indicated the phototropic properties.

TABLE 1 1. After allowed to isosbestic stand in a dark points of the mm 2. Al'tvr imnllutml ulism'ptlml A ---A-- curves l Hmnpln Nu. (mu) llUH h/ln [Ml/ti.) ling lu/lu L/ (J/(l uml L (um) (EV-l, :WI n. Milli (i. so -013Mb 4.!H n. 7: inn, H4 (JP-1. 302 -u.4u0x a. 14 0. 3170 3.1m 0.1'14 am. 424 GP-B 357 0. 4461 5.58 -0.31ss 3.0" o. 72 311. 410

(CF-3) was obtained by using the monomer prepared in exam- EXAMPLE I 1 pie Yield 95 percent 40 The same polymers, CP-l, CP-2 and CP-3, as used in exam- EXAMPLE 7 pic 10 were separately dissolved in benzene, and each of the A solution of 10 8 g (0 083 mole) of aniline hydrochloride risuhmgfsolunofflls i evenlygapphed to thisurface ofa g p ate to orm a l m t ereon. enzene wast en evaporate y dissolved in 100 cc. of 1 percent hydrochloric acid and a solull i h grass plate to Stand f 2 d i a d k p|ace [0 tion of 5.8 g. (0.083 mole) of sodium nitrite dissolved in 50 cc. prepare a sample The Sample was then fi d on a spec. f W e r mix g h at IO p p e a diazonium trophotometer so as to be exposed to the light irradiated salt solution. Separately, a solution of 10.0 g. 0.083 mole) of (ex it d) at a 45 angle, and was measured in the same way as p yy p dissolved in 600 Of Water in example 10 in the range of 340-500 mp The results were containing 25 g. of sodium hydroxide was prepared and to thi shown in table 2 below. As is clear from the values of 5 /5 the was added dropwise the above diazonium salt solution while polymer in each case indicated the phototropic properties. cooling with ice to 5 C. and stirring. The mixture was then further stirred for 1 hour and thereafter is made neutral with hydrochloric acid to form a brown precipitate of the polymer TABLE 2 (HP-l) which was then separated by filtration, washed with water and dried. The polymer was then purified by dissolving g gg it in tetrahydrofuran and precipitating it again from water. Exto stand IsOsbestic tent of the reaction 88 percent. f g z ggg ggsg g gli nnax. c 5 EXAMPLE 8 sampl N (my) L g 11/1 Log 2/ 0 Ez/Ex and 37131,) A solution of 13.6 g. (0.083 mole) of p-chloroaniline ggiI ggg :gjggg :gjgggg 8:?8 :53 hydrochloride dissolved in 100 cc. of 1 percent hydrochloric (JP-3 359 0. 4145 0. 3391 0.82 426 acid and a solution of 5.8 g. 0.083 mole) of sodium nitrite dis- 7 W solved in 50 cc. of water were mixed together at 1 C. to prepare a diazonium salt solution which was then added dropwise to a solution of 10.0 (0.083 mole) of ol -o-vi- EXAMPLE [2 l h l l g p y ny p eno 1 =0] 14) disso ved in 600 cc. of water containing 25 g. of sodium hydroxide while stirring 5 C. The resulting 7 gzg g g ig gg j 325211 22 32 gl fi fifz mixture was then worked up in the same manner as example 7 to give a brown Polymer (HP-2). Extent of the reaction 86 polystyrene and each of mixtures was dissolved in t tetrahydrofuran. The resulting solutions were worked up in percen the same manner as exam le ll to pre are samples, which P P EXAMPLE 9 were then measured in the same manner as inexample l l. The results were as shown In table 3 below. As 15 clear from the A solution of l 1.9 g. (0.083 mole) of p-toluidine values of the olymer in each case indicated the hydrochloride dissolved in cc. of 1 percent hydrochloric phototropic properties.

1. A process for the preparation of a polymer having optical specificity which comprises the steps of dissolving vinylphenol in strong alkali solution, adding a diazonium salt solution dropwise thereto to form the monomeric coupled reaction product of said diazonium salt with said vinylphenol, recovering the thus produced monomer from said combined solution, and copolymerizing said monomer with at least one vinyl compound in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator to form a copolymer having optical specificity, said diazonium salt in said diazonium solution being selected from aniline derivatives or naphthylamine derivatives, and said polymerization initiator being selected from the group consisting of azobis-isobutyronitrile and phenylazo-triphenylmethane.

2. A process for the preparation of a polymer having optical specificity which comprises the steps of polymerizing vinylphenol in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator, dissolving the polymer so produced in an alkali solution, and adding at least one diazonium salt solution to the resulting solution to couple with the vinylphenol groups to form a polymer having optical specificity, said vinylphenol is selected from o-vinylphenol or m-vinylphenol, and said polymerization initiator being selected from the group consisting of azobisisobutyronitrile and phenylazo-triphenylmethane.

3. A process for the preparation of a polymer having optical specificity which comprises the steps of copolymerizing vinylphenol with at least one vinyl monomer capable of copolymerizing with said vinylphenol in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator, dissolving the polymer so produced in an alkali solution, and adding at least one diazonium salt solution to the resulting solution to couple with the vinylphenol groups to form a polymer having optical specificity, said diazonium salt solution being selected from aniline derivatives and naphthylamine derivatives, and said polymerization initiator being selected from the group consisting of azobis'isobutyronitrile and phenylazo-triphenylmethane.

4. A process for the preparation of a polymer having optical specificity which comprises the steps of dissolving vinylphenol in strong alkali solution, adding a diazonium salt solution dropwise thereto to form the monomeric coupled reaction product of said diazonium salt with said vinylphenol, recovering the thus produced monomer from said combined solution, and copolymerizing said monomer with at least one vinyl compound in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator to form a copolymer having optical specificity, said diazonium salt in said diazonium solution being selected from aniline derivatives or naphthylamine derivatives, and said diazonium salt being a diazonium salt of o-toluidine, m-toluidine, ptoluidine, 3,5-dimethylaniline, 3,4,5-trimethylaniline ochloroaniline, m-chloroaniline, p-chloroaniline, 3,5- dichloroaniline, 3,4,5-trichloroaniline, (Jr-naphthylamine, and B-naphthylamine.

5. A process for the preparation of a polymer having optical specificity which comprises the steps of polymerizing vinylphenol in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator, dissolving the polymer so produced in an alkali solution, and adding at least one diazonium salt solution to the resulting solution to couple with the vinylphenol groups to form a polymer having optical specificity, said vinylphenol being selected from o-vinylphenol or m-winylphenol, and said diazonium salt being a diazonium salt of o-toluidine, mtoluidine, p-toluidine, 3,5-dimethylaniline, 3,4,5- trimethylaniline, o-chloroaniline, m-chloroaniline, pchloroaniline, 3,5-dichloroaniline, 3,4,5-trichloroaniline, anaphthylamine, and B-naphthylamine.

6. A process for the preparation of a polymer having optical specificity which comprises the steps of copolymerizing vinylphenol with at least one vinyl monomer capable of copolymerizing with said vinylphenol in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator, dissolving the polymer so produced in an alkali solution, and adding at least one diazonium salt solution to the resultin solutionto couple with the vinylphenol groups to fonn a po ymer having optical specificity,

said diazonium salt solution is selected from aniline derivatives and naphthylamine derivatives, and said diazonium salt is a diazonium salt of o-toluidine, m-toluidine, p-toluidine, 3,5- dimethylaniline, 3,4,5-trimethylaniline, o-chloroaniline, mchloroaniline, p-chloroaniline, 3,5-dlichloroaniline, 3,4,5- trichloroaniline, a-naphtylamine, and fi-naphthylamine.

7. A phototropic polymer consisting essentially of a saturated hydrocarbon polymer chain having pendant phenol groups which are the coupled reaction products of phenol and at least one diazonium salt selected from the group consisting of the diazonium salts of o-toluidine, m-toluidine, p-toluidine, 3,5-dimethylaniline, 3,4,5-trimethylaniline, o-chloroaniline, m-chloroaniline, p-chloroaniline, 3,5-dichloroaniline, 3,4,5- trichloroaniline, a-naphthylamine, and fl-naphthylamine, and said saturated hydrocarbon polymer chain being a polymer of vinylphenol.

8. A phototropic polymer consisting essentially of a saturated hydrocarbon polymer chain having pendant phenol groups which are the coupled reaction products of phenol and at least one diazonium salt selected from the group consisting of the diazonium salts of o-toluidine, m-toluidine, p-toluidine, 3,5-dimethylaniline, 3,4,5-trimethylaniline, o-chloroaniline, m-chloroaniline, p-chloroaniline, 3,5-dichloroaniline, 3,4,5- trichloroaniline, tit-naphthylamine, and B-naphthylamine, and said saturated hydrocarbon chain being the homopolymer of vinylphenol.

9. A phototropic polymer consisting essentially of a saturated hydrocarbon polymer chain having pendant phenol groups which are the coupled reaction products of phenol and at least one diazonium salt selected from the group consisting of the diazonium salts of o-toluidine, m-toluidine, p-toluidine, 3,5-dimethylaniline, 3,4,5-trimethylaniline, o-chloroaniline, m-chloroaniline, p-chloroaniline, 3,5-dichloroaniline, 3,4,5- trichloroaniline, tit-naphthylamine, and i-naphthylamine, and said saturated hydrocarbon polymer chain being the copolymer of vinylphenol with at least one vinyl monomer selected from the group consisting of :methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, tert-butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, vinyl acetate, acrylonitrile, vinyl chloride, styrene, ethyl vinyl ether, methyl vinyl ether, ethyl vinyl ether and butyl vinyl ether. 

2. A process for the preparation of a polymer having optical specificity which comprises the steps of polymerizing vinylphenol in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator, dissolving the polymer so produced in an alkali solution, and adding at least one diazonium salt solution to the resulting solution to couple with the vinylphenol groups to form a polymer having optical specificity, said vinylphenol is selected from o-vinylphenol or m-vinylphenol, and said polymerization initiator being selected from the group consisting of azobis-isobutyronitrile and phenylazo-triphenylmethane.
 3. A process for the preparation of a polymer having optical specificity which comprises the steps of copolymerizing vinylphenol with at least one vinyl monomer capable of copolymerizing with said vinylphenol in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator, dissolving the polymer so produced in an alkali solution, and adding at least one diazonium salt solution to the resulting solution to couple with the vinylphenol groups to form a polymer having optical specificity, said diazonium salt solution being selected from aniline derivatIves and naphthylamine derivatives, and said polymerization initiator being selected from the group consisting of azobis-isobutyronitrile and phenylazo-triphenylmethane.
 4. A process for the preparation of a polymer having optical specificity which comprises the steps of dissolving vinylphenol in strong alkali solution, adding a diazonium salt solution dropwise thereto to form the monomeric coupled reaction product of said diazonium salt with said vinylphenol, recovering the thus produced monomer from said combined solution, and copolymerizing said monomer with at least one vinyl compound in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator to form a copolymer having optical specificity, said diazonium salt in said diazonium solution being selected from aniline derivatives or naphthylamine derivatives, and said diazonium salt being a diazonium salt of o-toluidine, m-toluidine, p-toluidine, 3,5-dimethylaniline, 3,4,5-trimethylaniline o-chloroaniline, m-chloroaniline, p-chloroaniline, 3,5-dichloroaniline, 3,4,5-trichloroaniline, Alpha -naphthylamine, and Beta -naphthylamine.
 5. A process for the preparation of a polymer having optical specificity which comprises the steps of polymerizing vinylphenol in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator, dissolving the polymer so produced in an alkali solution, and adding at least one diazonium salt solution to the resulting solution to couple with the vinylphenol groups to form a polymer having optical specificity, said vinylphenol being selected from o-vinylphenol or m-vinylphenol, and said diazonium salt being a diazonium salt of o-toluidine, m-toluidine, p-toluidine, 3,5-dimethylaniline, 3,4,5-trimethylaniline, o-chloroaniline, m-chloroaniline, p-chloroaniline, 3,5-dichloroaniline, 3,4,5-trichloroaniline, Alpha -naphthylamine, and Beta -naphthylamine.
 6. A process for the preparation of a polymer having optical specificity which comprises the steps of copolymerizing vinylphenol with at least one vinyl monomer capable of copolymerizing with said vinylphenol in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator, dissolving the polymer so produced in an alkali solution, And adding at least one diazonium salt solution to the resulting solution to couple with the vinylphenol groups to form a polymer having optical specificity, said diazonium salt solution is selected from aniline derivatives and naphthylamine derivatives, and said diazonium salt is a diazonium salt of o-toluidine, m-toluidine, p-toluidine, 3,5-dimethylaniline, 3,4,5-trimethylaniline, o-chloroaniline, m-chloroaniline, p-chloroaniline, 3,5-dichloroaniline, 3,4,5-trichloroaniline, Alpha -naphtylamine, and Beta -naphthylamine.
 7. A phototropic polymer consisting essentially of a saturated hydrocarbon polymer chain having pendant phenol groups which are the coupled reaction products of phenol and at least one diazonium salt selected from the group consisting of the diazonium salts of o-toluidine, m-toluidine, p-toluidine, 3,5-dimethylaniline, 3,4,5-trimethylaniline, o-chloroaniline, m-chloroaniline, p-chloroaniline, 3,5-dichloroaniline, 3,4,5-trichloroaniline, Alpha -naphthylamine, and Beta -naphthylamine, and said saturated hydrocarbon polymer chain being a polymer of vinylphenol.
 8. A phototropic polymer consisting essentially of a saturated hydrocarbon polymer chain having pendant phenol groups which are the coupled reaction products of phenol and at least one diazonium salt selected from the group consisting of the diazonium salts of o-toluidine, m-toluidine, p-toluidine, 3,5-dimethylaniline, 3,4,5-trimethylaniline, o-chloroaniline, m-chloroaniline, p-chloroaniline, 3,5-dichloroaniline, 3,4,5-trichloroaniline, Alpha -naphthylamine, and Beta -naphthylamine, and said saturated hydrocarbon chain being the homopolymer of vinylphenol.
 9. A phototropic polymer consisting essentially of a saturated hydrocarbon polymer chain having pendant phenol groups which are the coupled reaction products of phenol and at least one diazonium salt selected from the group consisting of the diazonium salts of o-toluidine, m-toluidine, p-toluidine, 3,5-dimethylaniline, 3,4,5-trimethylaniline, o-chloroaniline, m-chloroaniline, p-chloroaniline, 3,5-dichloroaniline, 3,4,5-trichloroaniline, Alpha -naphthylamine, and Beta -naphthylamine, and said saturated hydrocarbon polymer chain being the copolymer of vinylphenol with at least one vinyl monomer selected from the group consisting of methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, tert-butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, vinyl acetate, acrylonitrile, vinyl chloride, styrene, ethyl vinyl ether, methyl vinyl ether, ethyl vinyl ether and butyl vinyl ether. 